From Worn to Wonderful: Inside Our Restoration Process
30 Years of Bringing Vintage Pieces Back to Life
At SO Retro, we're not just vintage resellers — we're restorers. Every piece that comes through our workshop is carefully assessed, repaired, and brought back to its former glory before it ever reaches your home. Here's a behind-the-scenes look at exactly what that means.
Why Restoration Matters
Buying vintage online requires trust. You can't pick up a lamp and feel the weight of it, or run your hand along a tabletop to check for rough patches. That's why we believe in being completely transparent about what we do to every piece — and why we go far beyond a simple clean and polish.
Our Restoration Process: Step by Step
1. Assessment & Sourcing
It all starts on our European buying trips, where we hand-select pieces with genuine potential. We're looking for quality construction, authentic provenance, and pieces that will reward careful restoration. We specialise in iconic British and Scandinavian designs — Anglepoise, Ercol, and other mid-century classics that were built to last.
2. Stripping & Cleaning
Every piece is stripped back to its original state. For wooden furniture like Ercol, this means removing old varnish and finishes to reveal the natural grain beneath. For metal lamp bases, we clean away decades of grime and oxidation to assess the true condition of the piece.
3. Structural Repairs
We address any structural issues before anything else — tightening joints, replacing damaged components, and ensuring the piece is solid and safe. There's no point in a beautiful finish on a wobbly chair.
4. Finishing — The Ercol Way
For our Ercol pieces, we use Osmo hard wax oil followed by a hand-applied wax finish. This nourishes the elm and beech wood, brings out the natural warmth of the grain, and provides lasting protection. It's time-consuming, but the results speak for themselves.
For other pieces we carefully select the most appropriate finish which might be a light oil or a full shellac French polish.
5. Electrical Safety (All Lamps & Lighting)
This is where we differ most significantly from many vintage sellers. Most of our electrical items are fully rewired with new cable and all are PAT tested to current UK safety standards. We've been working with Anglepoise lamps for over 25 years, and we know exactly what to look for. You'll never receive a lamp from us that hasn't been certified safe.
6. Final Inspection & Photography
Before a piece is listed, it goes through a final inspection. We check every detail — the smoothness of a drawer, the action of a lamp's spring mechanism, the evenness of a finish. Only then do we photograph it and write up an honest, detailed description of its condition and history.
What This Means for You
When you buy from SO Retro, you're not taking a gamble on an untested vintage find. You're getting a piece that has been professionally assessed, restored, and certified by someone who has spent 30 years learning exactly how to do this properly.
Our prices reflect that expertise — and we think you'll agree it's worth it when your restored Ercol table or rewired Anglepoise lamp arrives looking and working beautifully.
Have a question about how a specific piece was restored? Every product listing includes restoration details, and we're always happy to answer questions directly.